Three-dimensional printing, also known as additive manufacturing, is a process of making a three-dimensional solid object from a digital model of virtually any shape. Many three-dimensional printing technologies use an additive process in which successive layers of the part are built on top of previously deposited layers. Some of these technologies use inkjet printing, where one or more printheads eject successive layers of material. Three-dimensional printing is distinguishable from traditional object-forming techniques, which mostly rely on the removal of material from a work piece by a subtractive process, such as cutting or drilling.
Many existing three-dimensional printers form the printed objects using one or more build materials with little or no regard to the appearance of the surface of the object. However, some three-dimensional object printers also form two-dimensional printed images on a surface of the three-dimensional printed objects. The printer forms two-dimensional images on the object to improve the aesthetics of the three-dimensional printed object and to convey information such as printed instructions, part labels, barcodes, and the like.
Printed images that are formed on the surface of a three-dimensional printed object are susceptible to damage both during and after the three-dimensional printing process. Consequently, improved systems and methods for the protection of printed images on the surfaces of three-dimensional printed objects would be beneficial.